Troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have intercepted a suspicious vehicle and recovered about ₦37 million in cash, along with several mobile phones believed to be linked to terrorist financing, in Borno State.
In a statement on Monday, the JTF spokesman, Lt-Col Sani Uba, said the operation was carried out by troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Chabbal Checkpoint as part of sustained efforts to dismantle financial and logistical networks supporting insurgents in the North-East.
According to him, the vehicle, conveying five occupants, was stopped during routine patrols along identified terrorist transit routes.
“This interception represents a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle financial conduits suspected to support terrorist logistics and operational activities,” the statement said.
In a related development, troops also repelled coordinated attacks on Pulka and Mandaragirau communities in Gwoza Local Government Area, inflicting heavy casualties on the insurgents. Among those reportedly neutralised was a senior commander of Boko Haram, identified as Abou Aisha, who sustained a fatal gunshot wound during the confrontation.
Uba said troops recovered weapons and other equipment during the engagements. While no fatalities were recorded among soldiers, some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force supporting the operation were killed. Injured personnel were promptly evacuated by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai and Nigerian Army aviation platforms for medical treatment.
He described the operations as part of a broader strategy to disrupt terrorist supply chains and restrict insurgents’ freedom of movement.
“Troops have sustained the operational momentum from recent successful defensive actions in Pulka and Mandaragirau, transitioning decisively into logistics-strangulation operations aimed at crippling terrorist networks across the theatre,” he said.
Uba disclosed that between February 14 and 16, terrorists launched attacks from the Sambisa Forest axis targeting the two communities. Troops, he said, responded with intense firepower, successfully repelling the assaults and forcing the insurgents to retreat.
“Regrettably, some gallant personnel and Civilian Joint Task Force members paid the supreme price in the defence of their locations, while a few soldiers sustained injuries and were immediately evacuated,” he added, describing their sacrifice as a testament to courage and commitment in the fight against insurgency.
